Molecular mechanisms of toxin synthesis in paralytic shellfish toxin producing dinoflagellates

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K07569
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Aquatic life science
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Cho Yuko 東北大学, 農学研究科, 助教 (60323086)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 日出間 志寿 東北大学, 農学研究科, 助教 (30241558)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): YAMASHITA MARI 東北大学, 大学院農学研究科, 教授 (50192430) ; KONOKI KEIICHI 東北大学, 大学院農学研究科, 准教授 (40292825)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 生合成 / 麻痺性貝毒 / サキシトキシン / 免疫染色 / LC-MS / 発現解析

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Saxitoxin and its analogues are potent neurotoxins which　are　named　as　paralytic　shellfish　toxins,　collectively.　The　mechanism　of　their　biosynthesis were investigated by the comparison of the toxic and non-toxic subclones of the dinoflagellate, Alexandrium tamarense. The analytical methods were developed for the expression analysis (the immunohistochemical method for the biosynthetic enzymes and the column switching HILIC-MS method for the biosynthetic intermediates). By these methods, the key steps toward the non-toxic mutation was suggested to be the first few steps in the complicated STX biosynthetic pathway. Moreover unexpectedly, the localization of the enzymes which catalize the first and the second step were suggested to be different. It leads us to the new hypothesis that there could be some unknown regulation mechanism other than the regulation of the protein expression.

Free Research Field

天然物化学